This incredible new product claimed that it would be able to develop your black-and-white film negatives using one solution and it would only take 6 minutes or less.

Well, good news – Cinestill wasn’t lying.

Let’s take a look at some photos that were processed with Cinestill’s new DF96 Monobath Developing Solution.

Cinestill DF96 Gallery

Features

Ability to process 16+ rolls of film

Can process 1-8 rolls at a time

Solution for any B&W film

Designed for traditional cubic-grain emulsion with high silver content

Works with any and all black-and-white film stocks

Worlds fastest process at 80°F (27°C) in just 3min!

Flexible processing temperatures 70-80°F (21-27°C)

Instructions for processing at any room temperature included

Temp. tolerance is +/-2°F (1°C)

For normal or push processing

Push/Pull processing by adjusting temp. +/- 10°F (6°C)

Reusable, all-in-one solution.

Extremely versatile self-completing process

No special processor needed (use standard processing tanks and reels)

Fully archival

Odor-free (unlike home concoctions or old formulations)

Economical!

After having used this developing solution since it came out in June, I can confirm that these features are in fact true and then film solution is very reliable. It is a prefect solution if you have tight deadlines and need quick developing, as it will be much, much faster than any quick-developing at your local film lab.

Not only will it be faster, but it will be much cheaper and it will also be less hassle! With Cinestill’s DF96 one-step developer, there is very little room for messing up and there is also only a small chance you spill or make any mess for that matter.

Since testing this solution, I have only run into one error – and it was a user error, not a problem with the solution.

After using the solution for a week or two I had forgotten how many times I used it and how many rolls I had processed so I decided to try using it another time just in case I could get another use out of it.

I’m not mad that I tried to get one last use out of the solution, because the outcome of the images is still beautiful in my eyes, but by no means was this the standard result. See examples of photos below that were developed using Cinestill DF96 after already processing ~20 rolls of film in the same solution.

Getting Started

Getting started with Cinestill’s DF96 is very simple and doesn’t require too much equipment. Here’s a small list of things you’ll need to start developing with DF96 mono-bath:

Now that you have all the necessary equipment, you can start the simple part – developing. And when I say this, I mean it – Cinestill truly made developing easy!

Before DF96 you would need multiple types of chemicals, whether it be developers, blix, stabilizer, stopbath, or whatever the case may be. Now, all you need is one chemical solution, at room temperature, or a specific temperature (+/- 2°), and you’re ready to go.

As seen on the bottle of developer, the instructions are quite clear and concise.

You have a few options when it comes to temperature of the developer and from there you will choose your method of developing.

No matter what temperature you choose to set your developer to, the first step is getting your film into the developing tank. This is not the easiest process, especially if you don’t have a darkroom bag or if you are inexperienced, but once you are acquainted with this step it will become easier.

Once you have your film in the developing tank, set your developer to your desired temperature and begin processing.

Here’s a quick timetable of options below:

80°F _________________ Constant Agitation ≥ 3 minutes

75°F _________________ Intermittent Agitation ≥ 4 minutes

70°F _________________ Minimal Agitation ≥6 minutes

Below 70°F ____________ Renders Pulled Contrast

After you’ve developed your film, rinse your negatives in room temperature water for 5+ minutes and then hang to dry. The developing process in now complete!

We hope you enjoy this quick tutorial and gallery on Cinestill DF96 – if you have any questions about developing with this solution, feel free to leave a comment and we’ll be sure to help you out!